News and Notes: Updated between Games

[Peoriabird]

5 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

 

Either or.  It doesn't matter to me.  The key is that those two can play the 2 or the 3 on both sides of the ball.  And it keeps them out of possibly going up against a bigger guy at the 4.

My comment in December came after the Laker game in which the Hawks almost won, but got destroyed on the boards because the Lakers were so much bigger than us.  LP opted to play his most skilled guys, instead of trying to somewhat neutralizing the height of the Lakers with bigger lineups.

Now that we have Capela that we can put at center, Collins manning the 4, and Bruno/Dedmon as their backups, hopefully LP will shy away from playing small against much larger teams.  Having said that, we still have a need at the wing and at C, whether it be a veteran upgrade over our existing guys, or a decent backup that can give us 20 solid minutes a game.

LP fell in love with the small ball line ups last year and chose them over more effective bigger line up so don't assume he will stick with bigger line up because he has bigger players on the team.  To me, the interest in Edwards tells the story.  We already have 2 young shooting guards on the team and one small forward who can play shooting guard but yet the team is interested in another shooting guards.  Sounds like small ball to me. 

[Buzzard]

3 hours ago, Peoriabird said:

LP fell in love with the small ball line ups last year and chose them over more effective bigger line up so don't assume he will stick with bigger line up because he has bigger players on the team.  To me, the interest in Edwards tells the story.  We already have 2 young shooting guards on the team and one small forward who can play shooting guard but yet the team is interested in another shooting guards.  Sounds like small ball to me. 

I like Edwards and I like Wiseman. I don't think small ball is in the picture though with Capela now, providing he is healthy. If LP does not play the 17 Million Dollar man Schlenk traded for, he has no chance to keep his job past the end of the 2020/21 season.

No chance at all.

Huerter, Reddish, Hunter, and maybe Edwards, let the better wing win. One thing about it, getting Edwards or Wiseman will make us a deeper and more talented team.

Edited May 3, 2020 by Buzzard

[Peoriabird]

1 hour ago, Buzzard said:

 If LP does not play the 17 Million Dollar man Schlenk traded for, he has no chance to keep his job past the end of the 2020/21 season.

No chance at all.

If this is what it takes to get LP out of here I may have to root for more small ball next year!  Come on LP!  Lets see that Young-Teague-Edwards-Huerter-Collins line up in crunch time against the Sixers a few more times!

[Buzzard]

4 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

If this is what it takes to get LP out of here I may have to root for more small ball next year!  Come on LP!  Lets see that Young-Teague-Edwards-Huerter-Collins line up in crunch time against the Sixers a few more times!

I think LP wants to keep his job. Now whether he knows how to implement a better offense and defense remains to be seen. We were pretty much dead last in offensive and defensive efficiency. Things need to improve dramatically even to make a run at a 7th or 8th seed.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

 

 

 

[Peoriabird]

8 hours ago, Buzzard said:

I think LP wants to keep his job. Now whether he knows how to implement a better offense and defense remains to be seen. We were pretty much dead last in offensive and defensive efficiency. Things need to improve dramatically even to make a run at a 7th or 8th seed.

Don't forget about rebounding efficiency...We were at the bottom in that also as well as turnovers.  The notion that all of these issues were because of the players on the team has to be incorrect since last year's team had the exact same problem with a different group of players.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

On 5/1/2020 at 6:45 PM, TheNorthCydeRises said:

The game is more boring now than it was back then. 

The one on one battles are almost gone. The poster dunks are gone, outside of Lebron's hard charging to the rim. Big men aren't asked to do no more than run to the rim or shoot low percentage 3s instead of higher percentage short corner 2s.

The last NBA game I went to live, was the epic 4 OT game vs Chicago in which the Hawks lost.  As great as the last 1/3 of that game was, my thought in the 1st half was . . . this is boring as shit.

Nothing but 3's and uncontested layups.  And the 3s weren't going in.  That is boring basketball.

At least in the 2nd half, guys not only started to make shots, guys ( out of the desperation of the game ), started taking the ball to the hole.  I still remember Lavine's dunk that seem to come out of nowhere.  Then when Trae got going in the 4th quarter, it was really exciting basketball.

But I'd rather watch Joe Johnson probe to get his own shot for 15 seconds, than to watch a guy wait in the corner for a corner 3, in which he may not even touch the ball for 4 - 5 possessions.

 

 

I'm sorry, but Melo makes an outstanding point in Game of Zones ( Season 6 - Episode 4 ).

 

Midrange Shot Creating Melo > In the Corner Melo.   Houston tried to take his soul and render him worthless.  Portland resurrected him and made him relevant again.  I hope Game of Zones does an episode on his return.

 

 

[Gray Mule]

11 hours ago, Buzzard said:

I think LP wants to keep his job. Now whether he knows how to implement a better offense and defense remains to be seen. We were pretty much dead last in offensive and defensive efficiency. Things need to improve dramatically even to make a run at a 7th or 8th seed.

Have the Hawks fixed their biggest problems from last season?  

1- Weakness at center.

2- Back up point guard.

3- One of their best players suspended for 25 games.

We can't do anything about all the injuries we faced last season.  And, lest we forget, Hawks have two players on their roster right now who were injured when we traded for them.  They have as yet to suited up as a Hawk.

1- We now believe that we have the center position covered nicely.

2- Jeff will probably be back with a new, smaller $$$ contract, but longer.

3- Please!  Don't any one mess up any more!

Baseball season stretches out in front of us - - empty!  The NFL has had their draft.  We have no idea of their season.  Any one even thought about the WNBA?  They play in summer.  And the soccer season?  

It's time for the NBA draft but we don't know when, where or how.  They can't even call the teams together and practice.  Try, test out the new prospects?  No!  

[Peoriabird]

17 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Have the Hawks fixed their biggest problems from last season?  

1- Weakness at center.

2- Back up point guard.

3- One of their best players suspended for 25 games.

 

The problem is that we had all of this with the excepting of Capela toward the end of this season and we still lost to the Knicks at the conclusion of the season. Capela isn't some type of savior heck he isn't even an all star.  Will the Hawks win more games next year?  Absolutely1! Will it be because LP? Nope! Will the team still struggle with the same issues they've struggle with under Pierce over the last 2 years? You betcha! Will pierce have to be replaced at some point before the Hawks make that leap?  We all know this answer!

[marco102]

42 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

The problem is that we had all of this with the excepting of Capela toward the end of this season and we still lost to the Knicks at the conclusion of the season. Capela isn't some type of savior heck he isn't even an all star.  Will the Hawks win more games next year?  Absolutely1! Will it be because LP? Nope! Will the team still struggle with the same issues they've struggle with under Pierce over the last 2 years? You betcha! Will pierce have to be replaced at some point before the Hawks make that leap?  We all know this answer!

If someone said these things about a player you'd be irate. You didn't like Bud. You don't like LP.  I just don't understand your impatience with a  young coach.  What if he, get this, actually improves with more experience?

You always use the Mike Smith analogy when talking about coaches. How about this one, Bill Belichick witlh the Browns wasn't the Bill Belicheck with the Patriots.

Maybe we should just give the coach time with a better roster to see what he can do?

I just don't understand your obsesssion with bashing the coaches like they can't improve, but you act as if its an act of desecration when people critize some players or want to move them to the bench.  I hope you see the hyprocisy here.

I'm not saying Lloyd doesn't have things to work on.  Just want to see how he coaches when he has a much better roster.  Can we at least agree that we should see how he coaches with a much better roster instead of focusing on all the things that went wrong?  You say we lost to the Knicks, but leave out the fact they beat that same Knicks team, Dallas, Philadelphia, Miami, and the Clippers in the second half.  Yes, I know some of these teams didn't play their best players.  

The team improved in the second half.  You say that small ball lineup that you hate so much was a bad thing, but it actually was a net positie whenever the Hawks ran it.  ESPECIALLY in the second half. 

I don't even know why I'm attempting to make a rational argument because I know you're going to focus on something little above and ask about that instead of getting the entire point of what I'm trying to make.

Let's be patient with Lloyd and see how he works with better players, a more mature young core.  If he scueeds we should keep him. If he fails, of course we should move on.

Edited May 3, 2020 by marco102

[Peoriabird]

5 minutes ago, marco102 said:

If someone said these things about a player you'd be irate. You didn't like Bud. You don't like LP.  I just don't understand your impatience with a  young coach.  What if he, get this, actually improves with more experience?

You always use the Mike Smith analogy when talking about coaches. How about this one, Bill Belichick witlh the Browns wasn't the Bill Belicheck with the Patriots.

Maybe we should just give the coach time with a better roster to see what he can do?

I just don't understand your obsesssion with bashing the coaches like they can't improve, but you act as if its an act of desecration when people critize some players or want to move them to the bench.  I hope you see the hyprocisy here.

I'm not saying Lloyd doesn't have things to work on.  Just want to see how he coaches when he has a much better roster.  Can we at least agree that we should see how he coaches with a much better roster instead of focusing on all the things that went wrong?  You say we lost to the Knicks, but leave out the fact they beat that same Knicks team, Dallas, Philadelphia, Miami, and the Clippers in the second half.  Yes, I know some of these teams didn't play their best players.  

The team improved in the second half.  You say that small ball lineup that you hate so much was a bad thing, but it actually was a net positie whenever the Hawks ran it.  ESPECIALLY in the second half. 

I don't even know why I'm attempting to make a rational argument because I know you're going to focus on something little above and ask about that instead of getting the entire point of what I'm trying to make.

Let's be patient with Lloyd and see how he works with better players, a more mature young core.  If he scueeds we should keep him. If he fails, of course we should move on.

I get what you are saying but if the Atlanta sports teams did not have a history of hiring bad coaches, I would be more patient. Because bad coaching has beeen the primary reason this City has only 1 championship and why UGA has 1 shared championship even after so many great players have passed thru every team.  I was a fan during Falcon's 1980's team...I was here through the 90's Braves teams and watch them collapse and then collapse again last year.  Watched the collapse of the Hawks team in the 70's  against the Bullet after having a 3-2 lead in that series or Dominique's teams collapse against the Celtics every year. Or the 60 win team getting Swept by a beat up Cleveland team.  Heck, even the hockey team won a stanley cup 2 years after leaving Atlanta..  I am tired of mediocre coaches Like Mark Richt/Mike Smith/Mike Woodson /Larry Drew just to name a few.  I want a Nick Nurse or Spostra cause i know there is no way this franchise would ever identify a Pop/Reiley/ or Phil Jackson.  Once again we have another budding superstar in Trae young and an obvious all star in John Collins but Fans of LP don't question him when we get blown out by Cleveland or Memphis with those guys.  By the way, Belicheh cleveland team went 7-9 after being 3-13 the year before he came which is a far cry from 20-41  Pierce 2nd year which is worse than his 1st and essentially the same as Bud's last year when he had a team full of G-leaguers

[Gray Mule]

@Peoriabird - A lot of what you say is true.  Atlanta has a history of losing - - a lot.

To believe that the Hawks team, lead by it's GM and Head Coach, can not and will not mature and improve is just wrong.  We all have heard of the prayer, "Lord, give me patience and give it to me now!"

If the Hawks do not improve, then I'm with you.  Fire everyone and start over - again.   

If better players being on the roster to begin the season, if having our young Hawks improve by simply maturing, if our GM and our coaches can't show that they are learning from their mistakes of the past, then it will be time to move on and leave them behind.

True, Capela is not our savior.  He's not an all star.  But, is he better than our starting center when we opened last season?  Is Jeff T. a better back up PG than what the Hawks had to begin last season?  We remember that Reddish was unable to play summer league, did not open the season healthy and had to learn the NBA game during the season.  

So many things went wrong, as it always does to every team.  Hawks are not where we want them.  But, I sincerely believe that they are much better than they were to begin last season.  They ARE growing!

 

[Peoriabird]

7 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

True, Capela is not our savior.  He's not an all star.  But, is he better than our starting center when we opened last season?  Is Jeff T. a better back up PG than what the Hawks had to begin last season?  We remember that Reddish was unable to play summer league, did not open the season healthy and had to learn the NBA game during the season.  

So many things went wrong, as it always does to every team.  Hawks are not where we want them.  But, I sincerely believe that they are much better than they were to begin last season.  They ARE growing!

 

Actually, the team began the season playing very well with impressive wins over Detroit and Orlando.  I'm more concerned about the blow out loses to Cleveland, Chicago, OKC, Toronto, Detroit, Memphis etc. after John came back. and many of them after Reddish and other were supposedly playing well.

[JayBirdHawk]

Nothing earth shattering, covers how most of us see the season. 

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

Quote

What stood out the most to you about this season’s Hawks team? 

For this particular group, it’s watching these young guys grow and learn and understand what professional basketball is all about. They’re so young, they’re 22, 21, 20 years old and as you have seen, the NBA is very hard on young guys. This is a very punishing sport when you don’t have the experience, the wherewithal to navigate 82 games and win, but that said, they’re learning. They’re getting better. We started to win a few more at the end. The growth that we saw, (Trae Young’s) year this year over last, his numbers are amazing, how they’ve increased so. To see the ascension of Cam Reddish the last couple of months of the season. I’m so desperate to get back. I want to see (Clint) Capela, I want to see what can happen. John Collins is having a season for the ages, certainly in Hawks history, but really in NBA history. Nobody’s putting up numbers like this where you’re 21 (points) and 10 (rebounds), shooting 58% from the field, 41% from 3 and 80% at the line, I mean that is amazing. 

Now, it’s 41 games, but still, it’s significant. And just to see De’Andre (Hunter), and Kevin Huerter overcoming his injuries, the whole storyline about the young guys I think is fascinating because you can see the promise of the future, I think. As well as they came together toward the end of the season. Obviously, we’ve got a ways to go, obviously defensively we’ve got to get better, and we’ve got to reboot that second unit, and these are all things that (general manager Travis Schlenk) and (coach Lloyd Pierce) have told you that have to happen. But I think for this group, this has been amazing to have this kind of young talent kind of grow up together, and this is going to be the bunch that kinds of leads us back to the playoffs, back into contention. And I think it’ll happen sooner rather than later. 

 

[Spud2nique]

WHO WANTS IT!!! BIRD(not @JayBirdHawk but Larry ) Chief gets it, Lanier, I miss my fav player of all time. 
 

By the way I don’t know why I realized this now but @JayBirdHawk (Larry) and @kg01 (Garnett) are two of my fav posters and 2 of my most hated players ever!  All that’s missing is Jambrad signing up at squawk under the name BradleyPaulettePierce....  

 

Oh sorry, and now for the action, if this doesn’t get you hyped nothing will.

 

 

[kg01]

31 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

WHO WANTS IT!!! BIRD(not @JayBirdHawk but Larry ) Chief gets it, Lanier, I miss my fav player of all time. 
 

By the way I don’t know why I realized this now but @JayBirdHawk (Larry) and @kg01 (Garnett) are two of my fav posters and 2 of my most hated players ever!  All that’s missing is Jambrad signing up at squawk under the name BradleyPaulettePierce....  

 

Oh sorry, and now for the action, if this doesn’t get you hyped nothing will.

 

 

Not sure how you can not get excited by that sequence.

@macdaddy sure like'd it ...

 

.. as did @NBASupes ...

... @AHF tried to be all dignified about it ...

.. while @hazer just lost all his cool points ...

... even ol' hatin' a** @Peoriabird couldn't deny the excellence ...

[macdaddy]

13 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Not sure how you can not get excited by that sequence.

@macdaddy sure like'd it ...

 

 

Damn I'm hot.

[kg01]

21 minutes ago, macdaddy said:

Damn I'm hot.

Yup.  Hot potato ..

This was my first choice for a response, but I couldn't make a joke work.  Figured I'd post it anyways for ... reasons.

[sturt]

On 4/24/2020 at 9:34 AM, sturt said:

Indeed, @AHF. No need for that many games. I'm not sure what I was looking at when I came up with it, but I was off by about 15 games of what's needed. So, unless I missed something the team needing the most games is LAL which needs 7 to get to 70.

But easy enough to adjust.

So, instead of the original proposition of playing each team in your "pre-playoff series" group 8 times (3x8), we can just do 3 times, for a total of 9 games, and each in the "draft slot series" 2 times, for a total of 10 games.

Then the same would apply for the 8 teams eliminated from the playoffs that they each get that extra game to determine draft slotting, and end up with a 10th game.

Given the smaller number of games, there's a higher likelihood that we end up with some ties, and so on that, we just use the regular season record results as the tiebreaker.